Process of continuously supplying steam at low pressure to injectors



- May 7, 1929.

3 Sheets-Sheet l 5.1.. KNEASS PROCESS OF CONTINUOUSLY. SUPPLYING STEAM AT LOW PRESSURE TO INJECTORS Original Filed Aug. 5, 1924 Iii/mass.-

May 7, 1929. s. KNEASS 1,712,148

PROCESS OF CONTI USLY SUPPLYING STEAM AT LOW PRESSURE TO IN TORS Original Filed Aug. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A g V Z i I, x F/aZf JTTOIP/VEKS.

May 7, 1929. s. L. KNEASS 1,712,148 PROCESS OF CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING STEAM AT LOW PRESQURE TO INJECTORS Original Filed Augq5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 AT ORNEKS.

Patentecl- May 7, 1929.

u i'r 5 srmcKLAND L. KNEASS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO wit-v LIAM SELLERS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, or PHILADELPHIA, rnNNsYLvA I A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS 8F CDNTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING STEAM AT LOW PRESSURE TO INJECTORS.

Original application filed August 5, 1924, Serial No. 730,293. Divided and. this application filed July 1, 1925.. Serial No. 40,817.

My invention relates to a method whereby steam at low pressure is supplied to preheat and give an initial velocity to the feed water i in injectors and is, for example, adaptable for use in connection with injectors on locomotives where economy of steam is of primary importance.

The object of my invention is to provide a method whereby steam at substantially constant pressure may be supplied to the low pressure part of an injector, for example on a locomotive "from the exhaust of a working cylinder and whereby live steam will be automatically admitted to the injector supply pipe and expanded therein to meet the requirements of the low pressure part of the injector when steam is cut off the working cylinder, whereby the injector may be continuously operated whether the locomotive be standing, drifting or working.

Having now indicated, in a general way, the nature and purpose of my invention, I will proceed to a detailed description of an apparatus with which the method embodying my invention may be practically carried out, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation oi a locomotive showing the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of automatically operated live and exhaust steam valves.

Fig. 3 is an end .view, partly broken away, of the subject of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4tis a sectional view of a detail of my invention. A

a indicates the. boiler, b one of the cylinders, and c the steam chest of a locomotive. (Z indicates the injector for supplying water to the boiler and having the low pressure part 03, while 6 represents a manually controlled main injector operating valve for supplying live steam to the injector.

Exhaust steam from the cylinder passes through the conduit f, and the low pressure steam supply to the injector is through pipe 9; the conduit 7 and the pipe 9 being, respectively, connected to the body It in which is a winged piston valve 71 adapted to control the passage of exhaust steam to the injector.

A pipe connects the live steam valve 6 with the body, the admission-of live 'steam to pipe 9 being controlled by a valve is.

The valves 2' and is are opened or closed by steam chest pressure and are so arranged that when the locomotive is working the valve 2? will permit the passage of exhaust steam to the injector, while When the locomotive is idle, as standing or drifting, the valve z will be automatically closed and the valve la automatically opened to permit the passage to the injector of live steam, ex-

pended to reduce its pressure. The construction of the mechanism for automatically operating the exhaust and live steam admission valves will be clear from the fol.- lowing description. 7

On the upper part of the body It and in axial alignment with the valve 2' is a cylinder Z, which is connected tothe steam chestthrough a branch m and pipe n, Within the branch m is a piston 0 resting on a plunger p, in turn resting on an outer piston g and connected by a major spring r with an inner piston 8 provided with a stem 2? which isv connected'with the valve 2'. An inner spring usurrounds the stem 6 and abuts against a thimble v and the lower end of the cylinder. Communication between the exhaust conduit f and the inner piston. s is constantly permitted through the aperture w in the cylinder and aperture to in limit oi its stroke and'forces down the plunger 79 and outer piston g, which acting through the ma or spring 1", causes the inner piston s and its stem 6 attached to the valve 2' to be moved downward, thus opening the valve and permitting exhaust steam to pass to the injector through pipe 9 and at the same time compressing spring a. Exhaust.

steam from the conduit 7 passing through the apertures w w exerts a pressure beneath the inner piston s, and, when the exhaust 1 V termittent.

pressure rises, lifts the piston, its stem and the attached valve 2' against the action of the major spring 1*, which abuts against the plunger 7), which, under the steam chest pressure on piston 0, acts as a fixed abutment. The valve 2' is thus more or less closed by rise in exhaust pressure to be again returned to normal by the major spring with decrease in exhaust pressure, in order that the valve may act to automatically maintain a substantially constant pressure in the pipe 9.

I11 the ordinary locomotive, orany reciprocating type of prime mover, both the in- How and outflow from the cylinders is in- The discharge, therefore, from the cylinder exhaust pipe is in periodic Waves of high and low pressure, proportional to the impulse and frequency. Such variation in pressure is disturbing to the action of an injector, and I have devised means to break the waves of pressure and induce a moreeven flow of exhaust steam to the regulating valve and injector, through the conduit f to valve '2', and thence through the pipe 9' to the injector. In order to flatten out such waves and reduce the necessity for throttling through the medium of inner piston 8, there is set in the conduit 7 a body 12 ofgreater diameter than the conduit and di- Vided into inner and outer chambers by means of a cylindrical screen section 13,

transversely of which is a baffle plate 14,

the central portion of which is concaved, as shown in Fig. 4. Exhaust steam from the cylinder at varying pressures enters the cylindrical screen direct from conduit f, strikes the baffle and is deflected laterally through the meshes of the screen. The steam then passes around the bafl'ie and returns through the meshes of the screen into conduit 7" and thence to valve i. The effect of striking the baflle 14 is to eliminate a'large part of the momentum of the peak of the wave of exhaust steam; the finely perforated cylindrical screen 18 breaks into small jets the flow into the surrounding chan'iber, and this action is repeated when the steam passes through the other portion of the perforated screen into the conduit connected with the regulating valve. This eliminates the remaining impulses and gives a practically even and continuous discharge toward the injector.

If steam be cut off from the steam chest,

as when the locomotive is stopped or allowed to drift, the pressure is removed from piston 0 and piston valve 2' will be closed by the action of spring a, which acts to lift the various parts into the position shown in Fig. 2.

On the upper part of the body it and adjacent to the cylinder Z is a cylinder 00, in axial alignment withthe valve 72, and connected through a branch y and pipe n with chamber 3, which is connected to the main injector operating valve 6 by means of pipe j. Port 2 is also closed by an upwardly seating valve 4, provided with a cylindrical guide 5 having an aperture 6 for the passage of steam. The valve 4 is connected by means of a stem 7 to the outlet valve is, which controls a port affording communication between chamber 3 and an orifice 8 leading to the body it in such a manner that when one is open the other is closed. The orifice 8 may be varied by adjustment of screw 9, which permits the size of the orifice to be such as to allow for the passage of only as much live steam as when expanded in body 7t, will produce the pressure desired to the low pressure part of the injector. Suitable outlet space 10 and a conduit 11 leading to the exhaust pipe are provided to prevent accumulation of balancing pressure'unabove valve 4 and acts to retain the valve 4' and outlet valve 70 in respectively open and closed position as shown in Fig. 2.

If now steam is shut off from the steam chest, pressure is relieved from the top of piston z and the piston is lifted bythe pressure above valve 4, arising from the passage of steam from chamber 3 through aperture 6 in guide 5. WVhen piston e is lifted, the pressure above valve 4 is dissipated to the exhaust pipe through the outlet space 10 and conduit 11. With pressure relieved from the the top of Valve 4, the pressure in chamber 3 acting beneath the valve lifts and closes it at the same time the valve 70 is lifted off its seat through its connection with valve 4, and live steam is permitted to pass to and through orifice 8 into body it, where it expands and passesto the injector through pipe 9 at desired pressure. I

If now the locomotive be started up, steam chest pressure is again exerted on pistons 0 and z, the former seating on the base of its cylinder and the latter .on port 2 closing the port from the live steam cham her 3. The pressure on piston 0 effects the opening of valve 2', as above described. Pressure on piston 2 causes the piston to move down and, before it seats, to stroke the upper end of stem 7 and move the steam,

After the preliminary downward movement of valve a, steam from chamber 3, when the injector operating valve E is opened, passes through aperture 6 and equalizes the pressure on the top and under side of valve 4, so that the pressure of the steam closes the outlet valve 7: cutting ofl live steam from the pipe 9, which is then receiving exhaust steam as a result of the opening of valve Thus, it will be noted that with the main injector operating valve a open the low pressure part of the injector is continuously supplied with steam either from theexhaust, when the locomotive is Working, or from the boiler when the locomotive is standing or drifting, and further that the continuous supply of steam is maintained automatically. It will be appreciated that the apparatus above described, and which forms the subject-matter of an application filed by me August 5, 1924, Serial No. 730,293, issued November 24, 1925, asPatent No. 1,563,196, of which this application is a division, is illustrative of satisfactory apparatus for carrying out my invention, but my invention is not to be limited to theme of any particular apparatus.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: I

'1. In the operation of an injector having a high and low pressure element, supplying steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injector from the exhaust of a steam engine when it is working and from a steam generator when the engine is not working and regulating automatically the pressure of the steam supplied to the low pressure element of the injector from either the steam generator or exhaust to obtain a substantially constant pressure within the low pressure element irrespective of the higher pressure obtaining in the steam generator or of variation in exhaust pressure.

2. In the operation of an injector having a high and low pressure element, supplying .steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injector from the exhaust of a steam engine when it is working and from a steam generator when the engine is not working and regulating under the influence of exhaust pressure the pressure of the steam supplied to the low pressure element of the injector from either the steam gener ator or exhaust to obtain a substantially constant pressure withinthe low pressure element irrespective of the higher pressure obtaining in the steam generator and of variation in exhaust pressure. 7

3. In the operation of an injector having a high pressure element and a low pressure clement, supplying steam at high pressure to the high pressure element, controlling the supply of steam at high pressure, supplying steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injector from the exhaust of a steam engine when it is working and from I the steam generator or of variation in exhaust pressure.

4. In the operation of an injector having a high and low pressure element, supplying steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injector from the exhaust of a steam engine while it is working and so regulating the flow of exhaust steam to the low pressure element with relation to exhaust steam available as to maintain a substantially constant pressure within the low pressure element irrespective of variation of exhaust pressure.

5. In the operation of an injector having a high and low pressure element, supplying steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injector from the exhaust of a steam engine while it is working and from a steam generator when the engine is not working and so regulating the flow of steam to the low pressure element from either the generator or exhaust with relation to the pressure obtaining in the generator or to exhaust steam available as tomaintain a a exhaust pressure.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, on this 27th day of June,

STRICKLAND L. KNEASS. 

